June 12, 2006

Kosher Wine from...?

There has been a recent naming issue within System Bolaget, which is basically Sweden's state owned liquor store. The place you purchase alcohol of the heavier sort. (Totally unrelated, the Director of System Bolaget is married to our Prime Minister.)

Anyway, they also sell Kosher Wines. The problem started with labeling where the wine Yarden was produced. (Yarden is Hebrew for the Jordan River.)

It used to say Made in Israel, however System Bolaget got a lot of criticism from a few odd customers who were not pleased with that seeing as the wine was produced in the Golan areas, that are considered occupied by Israel.

So System Bolaget changed the name on the label to: Israeli-occupied Syrian Territory.

That was of course not seen favorably by the larger group of customers buying the wine. System Bolaget received many requests to rename it again and said they might consider it after consulting the Swedish Foreign Ministry.

They have now decided to write on the bottle: ... nothing at all.

14 comments:

BuJ said...

how about calling it: haram by haramis?

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

I must say I am interested to know how one makes wine kosher? I mean is there something special that one does with it, because when I looked at the wines on the web, they are all alcoholic wines. Hmm gotta research that.

Buj, you are all eloquence.

O ream, this world is just filled with stories like these, and I just happened to stumble upon it :) Like I always say, reality beats fiction any day.

Still I have to say, is it really a matter for the Foreign Ministry?

Samawel said...

*nerd alert* Kosher wine, if I remember correctly, is simply wine that is not dedicated to an idol, and made by a Jew. */nerd alert*

Why don't they just get another vineyard? Outside the Golan?

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

are you calling yourself a nerd samawel? mosh ma32ool... lol

Well thanks for the link, will check it out.

I did a bit of checking around and for many customers who are in favour of it being written Made in Israel on the bottles, they feel that it is not a geographical issue but an issue of ownership of the actual wine itself.

Well what can I say, I am not well versed enough to get into such a debate. I just found it interesting that there was in fact a debate about it.

* said...

Yet bottles are sold in the thousands. Is not that a bit like the pigeon amongst the cats?
Whatever the label says its still the same thing.
i mean have you heard the one about pure cuban cigars and why they taste so sweet!!!! :D (my 2 cents of harami-ism)

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

umm no I can't say I have Kaya. I am sure you will enlighten me later on...lol

I wonder if customers will stop buying it in protest...then again, that would only affect the company that is making the wine in the first place, and that won't really help. I guess the sales will go on of the wine with no "roots"

BuJ said...

loool@Abboud the Nerd :)

gonna be your new net-title :)

on a totally unrelated incident.. i remember seeing halal tuna or something fishy once in a Co-Op in dubai.. was quite comforting to see the halal symbol.. but on fish? hehe needless to say it was recalled quickly... lovely DM

CG said...

halal tuna? I personally look for dolphin friendly tuna, could that be what they meant?

As for the kosher wine....isn't wine just wine? whinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnne

Herlock Sholmes said...

Is the wine any good?

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

Halal tuna... very fishy indeed!

Could be as CG said. I always go for dolphin safe tuna. It's the Flipper generation, what can I say.

Well apparently wine isn't wine. And we are whining about wine. :)

Herlock welcome. I wouldn't know if it's any good. Nor would I know the difference of a good or bad one, however, Benjamin Disraeli is said to have said at one point about israeli wines, that they were like "the thing you drink when you have a cold".

Apparently wine production was at its early stages then, and now it is said that the wine is actually very good.

Ahh enough time put on this wine post. Moving on.

Samawel said...

Yes, actually I'm quite proud of my nerdiness. =)

BuJ said...

how in middle earth did u find this quote by Disraeli?!!?!

as for samawel.. well..well.. u get nerdy if u shop at Choetrams :P

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

Samawel we are proud of your nerdiness kaman lol

Buj I was just reading on wine production in Israel and the quote came up. You want me to try find it?

kosherwineshop said...

In most cases, I don't believe in religion, rules and traditions. But in the case of Kosher wine, it all makes sense. And the final result- a tasty, delicious wine!